Alaska Dispatch's Best Stories: Dec. 25-31

Dec 31, 2011

Among the most popular stories from Alaska Dispatch this week: Reporter Alex DeMarban took a look at the fat-tire bike phenomenon, and the winter sports fad it has bred from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Who makes the bikes? Where can you get one and how much will it cost you?

An opinion piece on the spectacular downfall of National Geographic, by a former staff writer and editor for the publication, wonders: How did one of journalism's last bastions of integrity fall so far, so fast? In a word, he argues, it's all about profit.

In the mid-1990s, the National Geographic Society faced a dramatic decline in its membership which continues today. (More than 10 million people once belonged to NGS; now there are fewer than 5 million dues-paying members.) As a result, senior executives decided to begin transforming the Society into a global media company — turning National Geographic into, de facto, the International Geographic.

Stories of importance to Alaskans this week included the resignation of former Gov. Bill Sheffield from his position as director of controversy-plagued Port of Anchorage; and the indictment of Joe Hendricks, a state guiding "legend."

And if you're just looking for a few gratuitous pictures of cute polar bear cubs, we've got you covered.

Alaska's fat-bike mania spreads its tire track across world
The fat-bike fad sweeping sections of the nation shows no signs of letting up, with retailers in Anchorage and the Lower 48 scrambling to meet demand for the balloon-tire bikes that float over snow.

The bikes were born more than a decade ago for winter adventure racing along the snow-packed Iditarod Trail. They still shine in winter, with big hand muffs and multiple layers keeping riders comfortable when temperatures plunge. But fat bikes have evolved in recent years, replacing mountain bikes for fans using them in summer to access a range of backcountry terrain.
3 Comments
Alaska guiding legend Joe Hendricks charged with 34 felonies
One of Alaska's oldest and most respected big-game guides has been charged with 34 felonies related to illegal hunting in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, most of them alleging that he allowed another unidentified guide to use his exclusive guide area. Joe Hendricks, reached by phone at a winter home in Kentucky, said he couldn't talk much about the lengthy indictment handed down on Dec. 14, but seemed mainly worried about what it would do to his reputation."This is going to mortify my daughter,'' he said. 6 Comments
Sheffield's tenure as port director mired by cost overruns, controversy
The longtime director of the Port of Anchorage announced his retirement, effective Jan. 15, amid calls for his resignation related to the beleaguered port expansion project.

Former Gov. Bill Sheffield made the announcement at a fundraiser for the mayor Wednesday night, said Lindsey Spinelli, a spokeswoman in the mayor's office.

He'll continue as a consultant, working as a federal liason for the project, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan said today at a press conference. He'll be paid $60,000 a year.
6 Comments
What happened to National Geographic?
My heart sank a few weeks ago when Craig Medred posted his scathing criticism of the National Geographic Channel’s Alaska State Troopers, a “reality” TV series that’s painfully short on reality. The National Geographic Society “used to be a bastion of journalistic integrity,” Medred writes. “Nowadays it feels compelled to ... concoct outlandish bear dangers to increase television market share? Talk about tarnishing a once-iconic brand.”
8 Comments
Polar bear cub melts hearts worldwide
A very young, white fur ball has become a fast YouTube star. Siku the polar bear cub opened his eyes for the first time over the Christmas weekend, a big milestone for the month-old cub that was born Nov. 22.
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Study explores how Alaska reduced fatal plane crashes
With a fatal plane crash in New Jersey making headlines several days ago and the FAA issuing new rules addressing commercial airline pilot fatigue, a bit of bright news comes from a new study on Alaska aviation, and how the state's multi-pronged approach to reducing fatal plane crashes has had a significant effect on the number of crashes in the last two decades.
1 Comments
A Sarah Palin for President revival in Iowa?
It was, perhaps, inevitable that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s supporters wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. They were such fervent supporters: citizens from across the nation spending their time and money trying to convince her to run for president. They printed flyers and T-shirts. They set up websites and booths at small town political events. They tweeted like mad birds, wrote thousands of emails, joined on the comment section of thousands of news stories. They flew across the country to hear her speak and believed that they would be rewarded for their efforts.
39 Comments
Exxon Valdez echo: Spilled bunker fuel lethal to fish embryos
Bunker oil spilled when a 900-foot container ship struck a bridge in San Francisco Bay four years ago wreaked unexpected devastation on local herring populations, annihilating virtually every fish embryo that became exposed in shallow water, according to a new study published this week by a team of 20 California and Washington scientists.
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Judge: 2009 BP oil spill in Alaska did not violate probation
A federal judge ruled Tuesday in Anchorage that BP was not negligent in its handling of a 2009 oil spill and therefore did not violate the terms of its probation.

U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Beistline found that the spill was not caused by corrosion or improper maintenance, as federal prosecutors in Alaska alleged.
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Simple Alaska float trip masquerades as survival saga on reality TV
Alaska reality TV star Chris Keefer is full of crap, or at least he must have been at some point. There is no other logical explanation for the claims he makes about what should now be called "The Brooks Range Diet.''
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Alaska Dispatch's Best Stories: Dec. 25-31

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